DirecTV is facing a bit of a crisis in space at the moment, and it's thanks to a battery malfunction.
The direct broadcast satellite service provider operates a fleet of 11 satellites allowing it to offer comprehensive broadcast coverage across North America. However, as SpaceNews reports, one of those satellites suffered a serious malfunction in December. The Spaceway-1 satellite experienced "a major anomaly that resulted in significant and irreversible thermal damage to its batteries."
Spaceway-1 was launched in 2005 and is a Boeing High Power 702 model. It's designed to last 12 years and DirecTV used it to beam high-definition TV during that time. Having continued to function long past its designed lifetime, DirecTV switched it over to acting as a backup satellite for Ka-band capacity over Alaska until the malfunction occurred.
An assessment by Boeing concluded that any attempt to recharge the damaged batteries could result in the cells exploding. DirecTV decided to stop using the batteries and Spaceway-1 is currently relying on power generated by its solar panels. The plan now is to move Spaceway-1 into a graveyard orbit, but doing so is a race against time and FCC requirements.
On Feb. 25, the eclipse season begins at which point the satellite's solar panels will no longer generate the power it requires. Instead, the damaged batteries will have to be used, which is unacceptable. There's plenty of time to move the satellite before Feb. 25, but the FCC requires all onboard propellant be vented before entering the graveyard orbit. Based on current estimates, the satellite can reach its "disposal orbit" in 21 days, leaving seven days for venting. DirecTV believes it can only vent some of the propellant during that period, but not all of it. In total, Spaceway-1 has approximately 73kg of bipropellant remaining.
It's unclear what happens next, but DirecTV's focus is on decommissioning Spaceway-1 before we reach eclipse season and asking the FCC for a waiver on the propellant venting requirement. Will the FCC bend its rules and allow the satellite into the graveyard orbit with propellant? It certainly seems like the less risky option right now.